In the past six months I've spent more time with a 61-year-old formerly homeless man than I have with many of my friends and family. As our friendship developed, I wondered what would happen if we approached homeless people like we do new relationships: with openness to learning about the other person.

We all seek to profit from one another. It is the very nature of the capitalist system we live in. On an interpersonal level, we seek the comfort of others, because in the best moments they make us feel good.

Call me old-fashioned. Call me intolerant. But I want to order and pay for my coffee with another human being, not a collection of cold, redundant and incredibly irritating glowing machines. Is that so much to ask?

My friends? My true friends? I miss them. I think that these superficial conversations and check-ins which give me that false feeling of having connected with people are the reason I feel lonely and dissatisfied as I sit here at my desk.

The next few weeks of travel will be hectic -- there is no denying that. Flight delays, overbookings, lost luggage, and never-ending lines of people from the ticket counter to the only coffee shop inside security.

I took this trip because of a perpetual heartache I felt, a lack of connectivity with myself and with the world. I needed to step out of my comfort zone and decided to do that halfway across the world. And there is where I found a tribe of individuals who felt exactly the same way.

Are we losing touch with one another? Are we sinking towards something like Roman civilization, when bloodthirsty spectators eagerly watched men fight to the death in the name of entertainment, now just on high-def screens? Or could empathy in society actually be enhanced by the capabilities of technology?

Nearly every day, I plug my iPhone into my computer at the office. My phone has about a six and a half minute battery life these days, so avoiding the dreaded plug in is not an option. When I do, a little box pops up on the phone screen that makes me click "Trust" or "Don't Trust."

Many believe that the current age of technology keeps us more connected. I disagree. Computers, cellphones, iPads, etc. serve a purpose, but it's not to keep us connected with each other. The disconnect amongst people is startling. Instead of interacting with a real, live human being, we read emails or texts. Or, perhaps we read a blog. We're far more attached to technology than people.

For the first time in my life I can do whatever I want to do, yet I sometimes find myself wishing the hours of the day would move faster. I am filled with self-doubt about my ability to do something meaningful. I do not think I am alone in thinking these things.

Those seven letters: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Some people demand it. Others expect it. And yet, not everyone gives it. Perhaps we can blame social media and the lack of human connection, but respect has gone out the window in the new age of modern technology.

"She's gone, Dani," he said just before bursting into loud sobs. His hand rose to cover his face. We had never shared any kind of physical contact, but I didn't hesitate to reach out and touch his shoulder; it seemed the most humane of all my available options.